CDSG Representive Site Visit Reports Fort John Custis

Fort Name: Fort John Custis & Fishermans Island Military Reservation, Smith Island & Mockhorn Island Base-End Stations – Lower Chesapeake Bay Harbor Defenses

Current Site Name: Eastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge & Fishermans Island National Wildlife Refuge

Dates of Visits: 9 November 2007

Site Use: National Wildlife Refuges

Is the site open to the public? Fort Custis: Yes, Fishermans Island: No, Smith and Mockhorn Islands: by special arrangements only.

Dates and Hours of Operation: daily – sunrise to sunset

What type of programs are offered at the site?
Living History: None
Tours: Self-guided nature trail and a museum in the Visitor Center
Museum Shop: small (non-military stuff)

Restoration Projects: None, but may be included in the future with preservation efforts currently underway at Fort Monroe.

Are there events that the Site would like to have advertised in the CDSG Newsletter? No

What is the overall condition of the Site: Fair

What is the condition of the Individual Elements?
FORT JOHN CUSTIS:
Battery Winslow: Good
Battery 228: buried
Plotting Room Bunker: buried
Fire Control Tower: Fair in 2003 (did not observe at this time)
Meteorolocical Station: Fair in 2003 (did not visit at this time) (access by special arrangements only)
Other Batteries, Buildings and Towers: razed
Cheapside Fire Control Tower (off-site): Fair to poor – a private house has recently been built directly in front of the tower.
FISHERMANS IS. (no public access):
DID NOT VISIT AT THIS TIME
Battery 227: good (in 2000)
Mine Casemate: buried
Battery Lee: Poor (in 2000)
Anti Motor Torpedo Boat Battery: Poor (in 2000)
Other Batteries and Buildings: razed
Searchlight and Battery Commander Towers: knocked down
MOCKHORN & SMITH ISLANDS:
(did not visit – distant observations only)
Fire Control Towers with concrete cabs: Fair to poor
Fire Control Towers with wood & sheet metal cabs: Extremely Poor

What is the protective status of the Site? Protected wildlife habitat
National Park or Register: National Historic Site.
State or Local Historic Site: No

Current Site Owner: US Fish and Wildlife Service, The Nature Conservancy (Smith & Mockhorn)
Current Site Supervisor:
Mailing Address: 5003 Hallett Circle, Cape Charles, VA 23310
Phone: 757-331-2760
Internet: http://www.fws.gov

Is the Site or a responsible individual at the site a CDSG member? No.

What information can the CDSG provide to the management of the site? Owners are not seeking any assistance.

Is there anyone at the Site that would submit material for the CDSG Journal? No.

Any Special Situations at the Site: (Damage, Imminent Destruction, Etc.)
Nearly all of the Fire Control Towers are severly rusted to the point of collapse. Some of the steel support lattice has been falling off. The Mockhorn Island towers are in the surf at high tides. How these things stay up after every major storm is beyond me.

If individual batteries, base-end stations, buildings, etc. are in some way significant, please indicate:

Report submitted by Phil Payette, November 2007
http://www.geocities.com/hrforts/harbor.htm